St. Landry democrat., 1887-01-22

tached face in spite Of the marks of dis
sipation it bore. His trim dress and
brisk air bespoke the prosperous com.
mercial traveller. He went indoors
and swept a business-like glance around
before the train steamed away; there
!: fore, by the time the station-masterh had
put up the mail and served one or two
customers, he had satisfactory order
written out, and protested himself
ready to mount the next train, for
which he would have to wait quite two
hours.
"Oh, you know how to put the time
| in," said the station-master, ''as long
as we have any pretty girls left in the
neighborhood.
The drummer smiled out of the back
door at a huddle of two or three cabins
and board huts, as if the capacity of
such place for producing pretty girls
was too contemplate joke for him to
NEEDLE with. He said he guessed he
would 60 down to the landing and see
if he couldn't get skiff awhile.
Betty jenkins will be down that
way, " suggested the station-master.
"She was in here minute ago"
"Ran from me-" said the drummer.
"Td kind of advise her to, if she
hadn't said the station-keeper.
whats the objection to me ?n
laughed the drummer I'm only q
good gray sinner. They'll have to dip
me several times more before I'm as
black as you South Illinois Egyptians"
"Old lady Jenkins will have a crow
to pick with you, though, if she happens
to drop onto all these letters and
walks
"You undertake too much" said the
drummer, shaking his head with gentle
responsiveness. The store and post
office and station and the neighborhood
will accumulate, and be too many for
you"
Beetrus saw him sauntering on her
track. The blood was buzzing in her
head, and she hid herself upon pile
of steep high rocks, obeying some wild
impulse of which she felt ashamed. To
follow him with her eyes and be herself
invisible was an impersonal rapture in
which she could indulge without giving
it too great advantage. Yet, when he
disappeared near the river, she felt
singing check in her heart, and sense
of having inflicted loss and robbery up
on herself.
To Beetrus he was the walking es-
sence of the world, representing not
only its mighty business, but its advan-
tages of culture and travel. She never
had been from home except to Evans
vile and New Harmony; and he never
staid two nights in a place, and spoke
with fatigue of his exciting life. What
operas he had seen!-for in Beetrus'
chaotic imagination all theatrical per-
Torrance was opera, and operas were
the distinct possessions of the wealthy.
She resented with a mixture of awe
and daring the greatness of his rela-
tives. He was nephew of the head of
his commercial house, and his grand
father had been Congressman; while
her background was the pioneers
cabin, the pecan woods, and Wabash
rocks and hills.
Beetrus was tbs child of shrewd
though novel-soaked mother, who had
lowered her with something more than
a mispronounced fine name and BIASED
1t is strange to think
how large human mass, moving this
instant in grooves Of practical action,
S protesting with secret scorn against
Ill its conditions. Beetrus was full of
, girls unrests and eccentric impulses.
She thought she knew exactly what she
wanted for her happiness, the con-
lensed statement of which would have
been to have the whole globe placed in
Ter lap, ticketed simply Reward of
merit
She pressed her check against the
ock linchens, taking half-inverted
lew of the autumn tangle, and glad in ]
pite of herself for the pleasant breath :
# life. 1t was worth while to be part ]
f such woods and river vistas, and to |
nell all the grounds odors. Some ]
title living thing ran along log not t
ar from her; and she could hear a t
quirrel bark, whish and whisper of s
oosened leaves as they were sent 6
drift, and then the dropping of nut.
tong as the sunlight was, she shivered 1
pom the rocks, and then felt all her i
lood burn, beat, and tremble. The (
Traveller was walking back Y
18th a brisk step from the river, and a
canning every opening among the t
,ees, as if on an eager search. He S
aw Beetrus rising and tightening her
ink shawl on her shoulders, and halted t
18th a jerk. =
where have you been?" was his I'M L
exclamation. I